


Red Doesn't Always Mean Evil

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Way Walkers: University Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Annarite!Keith, Crossover, First Kiss, Fluff, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Love Confessions, Lu'shun!Allura, M/M, Moot!Hunk, Moot!Pidge, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Roommates, Tazu!Lance, oh and
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:38:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8415898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: ...Especially not in the case of one Annarite by the name of Keith. When Shiro manages to get Keith into Tar'citadel, thanks to the help of Master Allura, Keith isn't exactly excited. Yeah, he's an Exemplary talent, but why? Why would Allura trust him?Then there's the matter of his hyperactive Tazu roommate, who Keith is pretty sure might be colorblind.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to do this AU/Crossover and honestly I give 0 fucks about if anyone actually wants to read this. I know not many people will... *throws hands in the air* But if you're reading this then yeah thanks! Hope you like it!

Keith followed Master Allura through the halls of Tar'citadel, keeping his face carefully on the floor as he walked. He heard the hushed whispers of fellow Talents around him, wondering about his presence. The cloak Shiro had gotten for him did nothing to hide his red skin, no matter how much he tried. He tugged it closer to himself despite that.

"Keith?" Allura's gentle voice made Keith look up. Despite his eyes meeting a face that had the same dark red tone as his, he trained his gaze on her blue eyes, or the blue in her roots. He reminded himself that Allura was not like him. She was a Lu'shun, and so he saw her as his own race. He saw her as an Annarite. Which, yes, did make him feel a bit more comfortable. But still, he felt out of place, because he knew that it was no more than an illusion.

"Yes, Master Allura?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I am fine." He wasn't. Not with everyone  _looking_ at him, not with their glares burning into his very being. "I just want to get to my room."

Allura nodded, though he could tell she didn't believe him. This time, she grabbed on to his hand and led him down the hall again, faster this time.

She got him to his room in just a few minutes, and handed him his key. "Would you like some help settling in?" she asked. Keith shook his head, thanking her for the offer.

When Keith got into his room, he was thankful to see that no one was there. He hoped he wouldn't have a roommate. He sat down on the bottom bunk of the bed, and took a deep, calming breath. He was in Tar'citadel. Him, an Annarite who had barely seen the outside of Shiro's house before finding out that he was an Exemplary, was in one of the finest Universities for Talents on the continent. He flopped back on the bed, and just laid there for a moment.

Then, the door opened, and Keith shot up out of the bed. He stared in shock, already backing himself into a corner when a Tazu walked in.

The Tazu dropped his bags down next to Keith's, and then looked over. He looked Keith over, and smiled. "Hey. The name's Lance."

"What kinda name is that?" Keith snapped, without really thinking. Lance blinked, and Keith realized that his dark blue eyes has slits, like those of a cat. After a tense moment, Lance started giggling.

"Yeah, I dunno man. You'd have to ask my parents."

Keith sighed softly, but didn't move from his spot in the corner. He examined his apparent roommate carefully.

He was wearing the same cream-colored uniform as Keith wore under his black cloak. His hair was a light brown, and his entire body was covered in shining blue scales. His smile looked like it was not going away any time soon, or not for any long period at least. Lance was wearing a large amount of sparkling jewelry, mostly blue jewels. Keith counted at least three necklaces, four bracelets, two rings on one hand and three on the other. He wasn't sure, but he was sure that Lance's ears were pierced too.

It would have been shocking if Lance anything but Tazu. They certainly did love their sparkly gems.

"So? What's your name, roomie?" Lance asked, coming close to Keith. Keith blinked at the sudden proximity.

"Um, Keith."

Lance beamed, and pointed a thumb at the bunk beds. "Mind if I take the top bunk? I prefer heights, y'know, Tazu blood and all."

Keith nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's fine."

"Cool, thanks Keith!" Lance grinned at him, almost blindingly. Did he not see that Keith was an Annarite? Keith watched Lance climb up to the top bunk and giggle madly as he looked down to the floor. "Yeah, this is nice. Not as good as flying but maybe when I have free time I can get out and fly around the town." He turned his beaming face to Keith, who was still a bit disoriented from Lance's friendly demeanor. "You wanna come with me, Keith?"

"With you?" Keith snorted and shook his head. "I can't fly."

Lance giggled. "I know you can't, silly. I would carry you on my back!"

Keith sighed and finally moved from his corner. "I'll think about it. I should just focus on classes. I'm lucky enough to be here."

Lance blinked. "Aren't you an Exemplary Talent?"

"Yeah. But even then they didn't seem to want to let me in." Keith shrugged. "If I mess up they'll probably kick me out, you know."

Lance pouted, but then started smiling again. "Well, okay. I hope we can be friends!"

Keith stared at Lance, waiting for him to burst out laughing and start mocking Keith. That didn't happen. Keith sighed. "Whatever. I need some air."

He started for the door, then seemed to remember that the entire student population hated him. Probably a lot of the teachers, too.  _Ruddy hell_ , he said to his Guide, Ezekiel. He glanced up to where Ezekiel was conversing with Lance's Guide in high-pitched tones that he couldn't understand.

"You okay?" Lance asked, drawing Keith's gaze back to him. He looked at Keith carefully for a moment. "You wanna come with me to see my friends?"

"Your friends?" Keith asked. "Why?"

Lance shrugged. "You looked like you didn't wanna leave by yourself."

That was... Well, sort of accurate. Keith didn't want to go out when anyone could attack him and there was no one to help him defend himself. Lance did seem like he was willing to help Keith if that need arose, too. "You know where their rooms are?"

"I can send out a Telepathic Call to them," Lance said. "Telepathy is my second-best Ability after all."

Keith watched silently as Lance closed his eyes, presumably to call out to his friends. Keith had never tried to Telepathically communicate with someone he couldn't see. He was slightly impressed that Lance pulled it off so seemingly easy. He watched Lance open his eyes again and then grin over at Keith.

"Okay, I know where they are! C'mon!"

Keith pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face as Lance jumped down to the floor. They went out into the hall, with Keith keeping his head down to the floor. Lance stayed close to him as they walked down the hall. Like before, Keith could feel the burning, glaring, judging gazes of everyone around them. He was glad that Lance's friends' room wasn't too far from theirs. Lance knocked on the door, while Keith half-hid behind Lance.

The door opened and revealed someone who was at least two heads shorter than Lance. They had brownish-blond hair and yellowish-brown eyes, with slits like Lance's. But their skin wasn't covered in scales, and was instead a pale white. They were a Moot, Keith realized.

"Hey, Pidge! This is my roommate, Keith!" Lance proudly pulled Keith into the view of Pidge, with a wide grin. Pidge blinked in slight shock as they looked at Keith.

"Are you..." Pidge trailed off, clearly uncomfortable. Keith sighed and crossed his arms.

"Yes, I am. I'm an Annarite, okay?"

Pidge nodded slowly. "Cool. Never met one... Come in, guys."

That... Was not what Keith expected. It wasn't the bright welcome Lance had given him earlier but they weren't exactly throwing rocks at him either. He followed Lance into the room, still carefully keeping his head down.

"Hey, Hunk!" Lance waved at another Moot, who was setting up the bottom bunk. "This is my roommate! His name's Keith!" Once again Lance proudly displayed Keith. Keith stared wide-eyed at Hunk.

Hunk, like Pidge, didn't have any scales on his body. He did have noticeably darker skin than Pidge, and his eyes were a darker color, though the slits could still be seen clearly. His dark brown hair was held with by a shimmering yellow headband.

"Hi, Keith. I'm Hunk," Hunk said with a warm smile, much like the one Lance had greeted him with. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh, you too." Keith cleared his throat and stared down at the floor. "Um, Lance, I'm just gonna..."

He pointed a thumb at the door. Lance frowned slightly. "Oh. You want me to come with you?"

Keith shook his head. "No, it's fine. You stay here and talk with your friends."

The room wasn't that far anyway, he figured. He said goodbye to Pidge and Hunk, and then left their room. He made sure his hood was pulled tight over his head, and went to his room as quickly as his feet would carry him. The glares still burned him, like fire, but his room was close enough and he managed to get in before anyone got the bright idea to try and hurt him. As the door shut behind him, he took some deep breaths, almost shaking.

"I'm okay," he said to himself, softly. "I'm okay."

_For now, anyway._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find the basic rundowns of the Ways mentioned down in the bottom notes, as well as any other things that may have to be explained. If you have questions let me know in the comments and I'll happily answer them! (Sorry in advance if I over explain anything)

The next day, early in the morning, Keith and Lance sat down next to each other in the mess hall in a far corner of the room. Keith glanced up briefly to see that most of the people in the room had decided to ignore him, and then he looked down at his food once more.

"Man," Lance said, "I wish orientation wouldn't have to start so early. Or last so long." He pouted slightly as he picked at his food. "I was honestly hoping to get out into town for a bit before classes would have to start tomorrow."

"You can go on the weekend," Keith said, his voice quiet. "You know, when you don't have classes..." He looked at Lance pointedly. Lance hummed.

"Yeah, that's true." He beamed at Keith. "Think you'll want to come?"

"Maybe." Keith shrugged. He wouldn't. Not because getting out of the room would be nice, but because there would be even more people out in town than there were in the school. He didn't like the idea of people staring at him or trying to hurt he and Lance. "I'll think about it," he said.

Lance nodded. "Hey, we should get to know each other, right? We're roommates and all."

"Makes sense," Keith said. "What do you want to know?"

"What's your best Ability?" Lance asked. "No, uh, I mean, what's the Ability you resonate... I can't remember what she said." Lance sighed with a slight pout. "You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

Keith nodded with a slight smirk. "Yeah. Anyway, it's Visual Medium, for me."

Lance shivered slightly. "That's a creepy one. I never liked having that Ability." Keith rolled his eyes and gently shoved Lance, who just giggled. "Anyway, mine's Emotional Empathy." Lance puffed out his chest slightly with a grin.

Keith blinked. "Um... Why are you acting like that's such a great Ability? Getting Precognition to work at the drop of a dime, _that's_ impressive."

"I can do that," Lance said with a smirk. "Pidge and Hunk, too. Though Pidge likes Telepathy better."

"They seem like the type to read someone's mind and then use their worst fears against that person," Keith said. "People shouldn't fear me, they should fear Pidge." Lance snorted and Keith smiled slightly. "Anyway, I think most Exemplaries should have a bit more of a control over Precognition than most others. Wouldn't be called 'Exemplary' if we didn't, right?"

Lance nodded with a smile on his face. "Exactly!" He giggled and nudged Keith playfully.

Then, Keith noticed Shiro coming over. Keith waved at him with a slight smile. Lance looked to see who it was. "You know him?" Lance asked.

"He's my... Sort-of brother, I guess." Keith shrugged. "I don't really remember how it happened, but I ended up living with him when I was really little. He's nice, and he protected me. When we found out we were both Exemplary Talents he made sure that Master Allura knew that he wouldn't attend the school unless I could too, when I was older. I took care of myself fine until I had saved enough money to make my way up here by myself."

Lance nodded and decided not to ask _how_ Keith got that money. Shiro made it to the table and smiled politely at Lance as he put his food down. "Are you Keith's roommate?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm Lance," he said, holding out a hand. Shiro shook it, firmly. "And your name is...?"

"Shiro." Shiro smiled slightly as he sat down. "So... Are you getting along with Keith?" His meaning was clear.  _You won't harass my brother, will you?_

Lance beamed. "I like to think we're getting along! Aren't we, Keith?"

Keith cleared his throat awkwardly, and nodded. "He's very friendly, Shiro. Friendlier than most of everyone else, anyway." Shiro smiled at Lance once more with a short nod.

"Good. I'd hate to think you're breaking the First Law, Lance."

"Why would I break the First Law?" Lance seemed genuinely confused. "What'd Keith do that would make me want to-"

"Never mind," Keith said, shaking his head. "He's being really nice, Shiro. I promise."

Shiro nodded once more. "Right, good. I'm glad."

"Back to our conversation," Keith said to Lance. "I told you a bit of my home life. What's yours like?"

Lance grinned and took a bite of his toast before he began. "I have a really big family. Bigger than most Tazu, actually. I have two older sisters, one older brother, three younger brothers and one younger sister. My mom actually is going to give birth to another egg, too, while I'm here. I hope it's another girl." He hummed and twirled a fork around in his fingers. "My younger-older sister, and two of my younger brothers are both Moots. I take them out flying a lot." He looked at Shiro. "Keith tells me you're a pseudo-older brother for him?"

Shiro nodded slightly. "Yeah. I'm like, nine or so years older than him. I was probably like, thirteen when I found him on the streets of Aralim. Luckily there wasn't anyone else around because it was so early. I was able to sneak him into my house. Since my parents were rarely ever home they never found out about him. When I left to come here, I was able to set up a small hut a little ways away from them for Keith."

Lance hummed and looked at Shiro closely. "If you're nine years older than him, then..."

"I'm in Second-Tier," Shiro said. "First year in Second-Tier, but Second-Tier nonetheless. I came here about the same age he is now, but..." He sighed softly. "Just be careful in Continental History. The teacher doesn't really like Exemplary Talents. I failed it twice because of his prejudice. You need to pass it to graduate up to Second-Tier."

Lance nodded. "Got it. We'll be careful."

Keith pouted slightly. "I'm screwed," he said. "A teacher who hates Exemplary Talents? Me, an Exemplary Talent  _and_ an Annarite? Yup, definitely screwed."

Lance rolled his eyes and gently nudged Keith. "Don't be all dramatic," he said. "I doubt he was really able to fail Shiro based on prejudice."

"Technically speaking, no, he wasn't," Shiro said. "But he does make different versions of the exams he hands out. I'm sure it was no coincidence that he gave me the hardest versions of them. The multiple choice answers were fine, but on the essay questions..."

Lance nodded and smiled comfortingly at Keith. "I'll make sure you study hard so that he can't fail either of us, okay Keith?"

"Fine," Keith said, poking at his food. He wasn't very hungry anymore. "How long until orientation starts?"

"You have a few minutes," Shiro said. "Want me to show you where it is?"

Keith nodded and stood up. Lance stood up quickly, too, with a grin. "Let's get this over with," Lance said, more to Keith than Shiro. Keith nodded in agreement.

* * *

It was  _boring_.

Keith and Lance nearly fell asleep from how monotonous the whole thing was. They got their schedules, Keith having to get his from Master Allura, and then went to their room.

"We have about the same schedule," Lance said from up on his bunk. "Do you have stupid Medium class on Saturday too?"

Keith huffed. "Yeah. Guess you won't be flying around town."

"I could on Sunday," Lance said. "I just thought I'd have more time to study, too. This is messed up."

"We did come in a bit late, remember?" Keith shrugged, though Lance couldn't see him. Keith flopped down on his back. "Most students got admitted when they were twelve. It makes sense that we have to play catch-up."

"Smarty pants," Lance said. He hung down and looked over at Keith. Keith stared at Lance's upside-down face. "I bet you'll like the Medium class anyway. More than I will."

Keith shrugged. "I guess. It helps when you remember that-"

"They just want to cross. They think it's not their time or they're looking for something. Yeah, my mom old me all the time back home, whenever I saw a stray ghost wandering around." Lance rolled his eyes and went back up to his own bunk. After a moment, he came down and sat next to Keith. Keith sat up as Lance kept talking "Anyway, let's move on from things that'll give me nightmares." Keith snorted. "Which Way do you have in mind to follow?"

Keith shook his head. "We're not supposed to choose until we graduate up to Second-Tier."

"It's not _officially_ choosing," Lance said with a slight smirk. "I just think it's good to have at least a couple of ideas in mind. That way it's easier to narrow down when the time comes."

Keith couldn't fault that logic, but he hadn't given much thought to it anyhow. "I don't know. What do you have in mind?"

Lance hummed. "I was thinking of either Beleskie, Bree or Desmoulein." He smiled at Keith. "I think all that Beleskie's Way entails is really interesting, and it'd be fun to work with people. Maybe matchmaking or psychology or something. That's definitely my top choice, right now."

Keith nodded with a sort of smile. "And Bree and Desmoulein...?"

"Bree's Way would have a lot of different benefits, and a bit of a wider variety if you ask me. I'm really good at playing a lot of different instruments, actually. Or I could just design buildings!" Lance moved his hands around as he talked, and Keith's smile softened with a sort of affection at the sight. "Desmoulein, though. If I become like, something to help those who are injured, whether it's people or animals, that'd be so fulfilling. I'd really love to be able to do that, too." His smile was sparkling when he looked at Keith. "What do you think?"

Keith blinked and took a moment to reply. "I think you'd be great at anything involving people. Beleskie would be a great Way for you." Lance giggled at the reply, almost shyly.

"Thanks," he said. He tilted his head, his blue eyes searching Keith's expression. "So? What about you?"

"Oh, uh..." Keith wracked his brain. "Well, the way of Rosin may be interesting... Though I know Shiro ended up choosing Rhean..." Keith hummed in thought for a moment. "I'd never given much thought, honestly. I hadn't even expected to be let in to the school."

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I understand. Rosin would be a pretty cool Way for you to follow, though. You could be a mage!"

"Yeah," Keith said, nodding in agreement. "Although I do think Kubesh would be a good Way, too. Like I said, I haven't ever given it much thought." He shrugged. "If I did choose Kubesh I probably wouldn't be like, a soldier or anything. Probably more like a blacksmith."

"Think you could do that?" Lance asked with a slight smirk. Keith shrugged, his lips quirking into a slight smile.

"I wouldn't know unless I tried, would I?"

Lance smiled and snickered a bit at that. "Good point."

They talked more and more. Lance insisted that Keith would be a great Rosin Walker, or even Ulic, but Keith shot that down quickly. "I'm not too into the studying idea. Ulic Walkers always have to have the patience to sit and teach or whatever, and I don't really care much for sitting still and reading a bunch of books." Lance laughed at that reply, but relented.

Eventually, they knew they'd have to just go to sleep. They _did_ have classes early the next morning. They said goodnight, and Lance climbed up to his bunk. Within minutes, they both fell asleep. Keith's mind was filled with thoughts of being a Ulic Walker, trying to imagine himself in the silver robes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I've mentioned that Keith is an Exemplary Talent. Basically that means he possesses all five Abilities - Telepathy, Empathy, Energy Manipulation, Medium, and Precognition.
> 
> \- 'Aralim' is basically a nation where most full-blooded humans live in this world. Since it's extremely close to the Middle Lands, where Annarites are from, it's very possible that Keith had managed to get lost and somehow wound up there. I'm still working out the details on how that happened, actually...
> 
> \- The 'First Law' is basically that one 'Cannot impede upon the freewill of another'. That's not a law as in, 'If you do this you'll go to jail' but more like one of the Ten Commandments.
> 
> \- Beleskie's Way is basically the Way of 'Love and Relationships'. It involves a focus on one's connections with those on the mortal plain. Those who follow Bree could have jobs that focus heavily on relationships or people in general.
> 
> \- Bree's Way is the Way of 'Creativity'. Those who follow Bree can have jobs from architect to acting or singing. If it involves some semblance of creativity, you could probably do it following Bree.
> 
> \- Desmoulein's Way is the Way of 'Health' and the jobs that one could get from following Desmoulein include vets, alchemists, or even farmers.
> 
> \- Rosin's Way is the Way of 'Magic'. Except for being a mage I'm not totally sure about what one could do... I guess anything involving magic, really.
> 
> \- Kubesh's Way is the Way of 'the Warrior'. In addition to focusing on being a soldier or fighter one could become a blacksmith or athlete.
> 
> \- Rhean's Way is the Way of 'Protection'. Essentially one could become a soldier, or a spy or rogue. My thoughts in making Shiro a Rhean Walker is that he would want to protect Keith from anyone who might want to hurt him, though technically speaking it's not the 'best' Way in that regard.
> 
> \- Ulic's Way is the Way of 'Truth' and most Walkers of that Way involve scholars, teachers or other types of academics.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like last chapter, anything on the Ways or other things that may need to be explained can be found in the bottom notes. Thanks for reading!

Keith pulled his hood over his eyes and stared down at the ground. Lance, walking alongside him, chattered on, oblivious to the stares that both of them were getting as they walked to their first class. He was thankful for Lance's company, since he wasn't sure if someone would want to attack him in some way. But on the other hand, someone might just decide to attack  _both_ of them.

"You didn't have to walk with me," he said, keeping his voice low. Lance stopped his story and smiled to Keith. Not that Keith could see; his eyes were still trained on the floor.

"I don't mind," Lance said. "We're taking the same classes, and we have the same schedule. Why wouldn't I walk with you?"

Keith hesitated. "What if someone hurts you?"

Lance crossed his arms. Keith glanced up at his face, and saw, for possibly the first time since they'd met, Lance frowning. His eyes were narrowed, not in anger, but in concern. His arm reached over, carefully, and he placed a gentle hand on Keith's shoulder. Keith stopped walking, and so did Lance.

"Do you think people would want to hurt me just because I'm with you?"

Keith nodded and couldn't say anything else.

Lance sighed and squeezed Keith's shoulder. Lance's eyes were screwed shut, and his eyebrows furrowed together. "Keith. That doesn't make me want to stay away from you," he said, voice shaking. "If anything, I want to stick closer to you. I want to be there for you."

Keith swallowed. He pulled away from Lance's hand that was still on his shoulder, and continued on towards the class. Lance followed, silent.

"Thank you," Keith said after a moment. "But I don't want to see you hurt because of me."

Lance sighed once more and crossed his arms again. "And I don't want to see you hurt when I could have been there to protect you."

"I don't need protecting." Keith definitely appreciated the sentiment behind that. But the way Lance said it, it just made him feel... "I'm not a weak little child."

"I never said you were," Lance said. "Okay, don't call it protecting then. More like... Just, being there for you. Helping you."

Keith was silent, staring blankly at the floors. He nodded after a moment, but didn't speak.

_Thank you_.

Lance stumbled. He clearly hadn't expected the telepathic message. Still, he grinned at Keith, and the heavy mood from before was lifted.

Within minutes they finally found their first class; Beginner Emotional Empathy. When they came in, Keith was more than relieved to see that the teacher for this class was Master Allura. She smiled kindly at Keith and Lance, and directed them to take their seats. Lance grabbed Keith's hand and tugged him to the back row, where there were few other students sitting. Lance grinned as they sat down, and Keith pulled his hood down to reveal his silver-gray locks.

_Your hair is pretty,_ Lance's voice echoed in Keith's mind. Keith quirked a small smile in Lance's direction. Lance only grinned back.

* * *

Since the class was a Beginner class, meant for twelve-year-olds, the assignment ended up being rather... Dull. It was pretty easy for Lance and Keith, who ended up paired together. Master Allura claimed it was because they were both around the same age. Keith figured it was because Lance was the only one in the class who didn't want to murder him.

The assignment was to just send emotions to the partner, back and forth. Technically speaking, it was supposed to be limited to just happiness and sadness. That was all they'd been doing for a while; Lance would send happiness to Keith. Keith would send sadness to Lance. Lance would send sadness, Keith would send happiness, Lance would send happiness... Over and over.

Then, Keith felt a different emotion wash over him. He instantly recognized that it was not his own. He shook it off and opened his eyes. "Affection," he said. "And not what the assignment entails." He smirked a bit, though. It was clear that Lance only wanted to liven up the assignment.

"I'm sure you're as bored as I am," Lance said. "But hey, if you don't-"

"It's fine," Keith said. He smiled and rolled his eyes fondly. "But if we get caught I'm blaming you."

Lance grinned and closed his eyes. "Deal," he said in a near whisper. Keith nodded to himself, and after a moment, sent surprise to Lance. He watched as Lance jumped a bit, and opened his eyes. His cat-like eyes were mostly blue for a bit, then he shook it off.

* * *

After the class, Lance and Keith were giggling to themselves on the way to their next one. In the rare happiness, Keith hadn't put his hood back on.

Which was probably why someone decided to shove him into a wall. His breath was knocked from his lungs, and his head felt like someone had hit him with a hammer. He was lucky for his tough skin or he might have started bleeding.

He opened his eyes, having closed them in shock, and looked at his attacker.

A Muilan. About the size of Shiro. His cold, black eyes were narrowed at Keith. Lance came in front of Keith, getting in between Keith and the purple-skinned Talent.

"What the  _ruddy_ hell did you do  _that_ for?!" Lance snapped.

"He's one of the Tainted." The Muilan pointed an accusing finger at Keith. Unfortunately for him, this put it very close to Lance, as well. Lance grabbed that finger and bent it till it snapped. The Muilan boy shouted in pain and yanked his hand away, glaring heatedly at Lance.

"You fucking leave him _alone_ ," Lance said, his voice low and dangerous. Keith was pretty glad at that moment that it wasn't directed at him. "If you even  _try_ to hurt him again, I swear I will come after you with a force that will make you  _wish_ that you had never signed your Life Contract. Now get the _fuck_ out of my sight."

The boy ran off, and Lance turned around. His eyes softened and he brushed some of Keith's hair from his face. "You okay?" he asked gently, a real 180 compared to just a few moments ago.

"I'm better than him," Keith said with a bitter smile. "I didn't have my finger broken."

Lance chuckled. "I could've done a lot worse. I will if he hurts you again, too."

Keith smiled and pulled his hood over his head. "Thanks. I'm glad you're my friend."

Lance grinned and draped an arm over Keith's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get to our next class, yeah?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I can already picture you guys asking why Keith has 'silver-gray' hair, while most of everyone else (save Allura) has the same hair color they do in the canon. Actually, Annarites don't have black or brown hair, their hair colors range simply from silver-gray to just white. I apologize if most of you were picturing Keith with black hair up to this point.
> 
> \- The 'Tainted' is the hateful name that Annarites are often called.
> 
> \- Muilans are basically purple humanoids... Well, think of the Galra, but more human-ish and their eyes are black instead of yellow.
> 
> \- 'Ruddy' is a curse word in this universe. A really bad one too.
> 
> \- A 'Life Contract' is essentially what everyone in this universe has to 'sign' before they can be born into a new life. Like if you die one life, then you can be reborn but you have to sign a Life Contract first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explanations at the bottom of the page. Thanks for reading, guys! Means a lot to me. As always if you have questions you can let me know!

Keith flipped through the pages of the books in a bored silence. Lance was across from him, leaning against the wall as they studied together. Keith peeked over the edge of Lance's bunk and immediately flinched. How could Lance sleep this high up? "I'd rather be against the wall," he said.

"Come over here then," Lance said, flashing Keith a smile. "Plenty of room."

So Keith shifted closer to Lance and looked down to his book again. "Okay, those who helped to create the Continent..."

"Ra'vien and Rosin," Lance replied easily. "Capital of Tazu Nation?"

"Um..." Keith wracked his brain. "Kid-something."

"Kidwellith," Lance said with a slight smirk. "That place was a huge mess. Definitely too crowded." He chuckled and looked down at the books again. "Your turn," he said.

"The only race that can be found in every place on the Continent?"

"Humans." Lance snorted. "Give me a hard one." He flipped some more pages, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "The 'chosen children' of Kubesh?"

"The Ki'ra," Keith said. "And I never took you for a hypocrite. These questions are way too easy."

Lance groaned and closed his book. "Of course they are. Because these classes are for twelve-year olds! And you know half of this stuff won't be on any tests. Capital of Tazu Nation? Yeah right, what does that have to do with Continental History?"

Keith snickered to himself as he closed his own book. "I dunno. You're literally from Tazu Nation, you tell me."

"Nothing, that's what," Lance said. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, his lips stuck out in a pout. "We're too old to be taking these classes, you know that?"

"I know." Keith nodded and patted Lance's knee. "We learned all we'd need to know at this level. But it's nothing we can change. It's how the school is run."

Lance nodded, though he didn't open his eyes. "Do we actually have to read all this though? I'll die of boredom." Keith rolled his eyes and nudged Lance playfully as he said that.

"Well, since we know most of everything, I guess we can just talk." Keith wasn't keen on not doing the work, but Lance had a point. They knew pretty much everything that they were studying. "How about you tell me more about your family? Or, how'd you meet Hunk and Pidge?"

Lance chuckled. "You mean how I came to associate with Moots?" he asked. Keith shrugged with a sheepish smile. Lance sat up straighter. "Do you know the Attieth family? They're one of the really famous Tazu families. I'm technically part of that family, on my dad's side."

"Figured you were a high-blood," Keith said. Lance's scales were shining and jewel-toned, like they were actual sapphires instead of scales. Of course he was a high-blood. Keith was partially surprised he wasn't part of the royal family, in fact. Lance grinned at him.

"Yeah, so, I told you that one of my older sisters is a Moot, right?" Keith nodded in confirmation. "So, they never let her or any other Moots wear Tazu-hide. Y'know, the stuff that we have to wear when we shift into draconic form, so that when we shift back we're not naked. They say that Moots shouldn't wear it because they don't need it."

Keith snorted at that. He hoped Lance had his own Tazu-hide clothes packed if he wanted to go flying around the city. He highly doubted that the uniforms they wore for school were Tazu-hide.

"Anyway, I kinda felt like that wasn't fair. So the first time I was shedding, I asked the people taking away the old skin if I could watch the process on how the stuff was made."

"Let me guess," Keith said with a smirk. "Next time you were shedding you made stuff for your siblings?"

"Yup," Lance said, a smirk on his face. "Just little bracelets and stuff. None of my little siblings had been hatched yet, but I made sure to make some for them when they were. Anyway, the first time, I still had some leftovers afterward, so I headed down to the Lower District of where I lived..."

"And that's where you met Hunk and Pidge?"

Lance nodded. "I gave them each a bracelet. They actually  _cried_ because I was so nice." He paused and seemed to consider that for a moment. "I seriously worry for them, sometimes-."

"I can understand their feelings," Keith said softly. He picked at the hem of his shirt, suddenly avoiding Lance's gaze. "I mean, they probably weren't treated very well. So then you come along and you're just so nice to them, no matter what they look like..."

Lance was silent for a moment. Keith knew that he knew that he wasn't talking about Hunk and Pidge.

"Maybe I'll make you a bracelet one day," Lance said. "Think that'd be okay?"

Keith shrugged a little, a soft smile on his face. "Sure. Why not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Ra'vien is Rhean's Aspect. Aspects are essentially the 'other sides' to certain Ways. Like, 'two sides of the same coin' or something along that line, I suppose.
> 
> \- The Ki'ra are 'mixes of humans and animals'. No, I'm not kidding, they're fucking furries man.
> 
> \- I know I probably forgot to in-depth on 'Moots' before. Essentially, they're Tazu people who do not outwardly reflect their draconic heritage. The Tazu blood still flows through their veins, but they don't have scales and cannot shift into full-dragon form as Lance or another 'full-blooded' Tazu would.
> 
> \- 'Tazu-hide' is made from, as you can probably guess, the Tazu skin. When a Tazu sheds, their skin is made into clothes or accessories that a Tazu can wear when they shift, so that when they are once again in their humanoid form, they'll still be clothed. (I know Lance sort of explained that but I just wanted to reiterate that for safety's sake)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always info on anything that may need more explaining can be found at the bottom.

Keith leaned against the door, taking a few deep breaths. It had been a bit since he'd had to walk among the halls without Lance at his side. His heart pounded in his chest, and his hands shook. Ever since that boy had shoved him against the wall, he was utterly paranoid of everyone in the hall.

He wasn't sure why Lance had been asked to stay behind in Continental History. But Keith hadn't liked it, not at all. He shook his head, closing his eyes. He went to sit down on his bed. He was fine. No one had attacked him this time. Keith would bet anything that the Muilan had gone and warned everyone about Lance. He smirked slightly at the thought.

Someone knocked on the door. Keith hesitated for a moment. He knew that Lance would have just walked right in. He stood slowly, in a defensive position. Almost as an afterthought, he pulled his hood over his head, having dropped it when he sat down. He stood in front of the door, fists clenched at his side. "Who's there?" he said meekly, uncertain if whoever was on the other side could even hear him.

"It's Pidge and Hunk," came Pidge's voice. Keith relaxed, just slightly. He hadn't spoken to them recently, but Lance had mentioned asking them to come over for a study group. Keith opened the door with a shaky smile. "Hi, Keith. Is Lance here?" Pidge asked, notebooks held tightly against their chest. Hunk stood behind them, a warm smile on his face with his own notebooks under his arm.

"He was asked to stay behind in Continental History," Keith said. "You can come in and wait for him if you want." He stepped aside to let them in, and slammed the door behind them as soon as they were inside the room. "Just sit anywhere," he offered, ignoring the glances he got. Though there were very few options. There were desks in the room, two of them, and then two chairs. Then there was the bunk bed, and the floor.

"Is it okay if I sit up on the top bunk?" Pidge asked. "You think Lance would mind?"

"I don't think so," Keith said. "He seems pretty nice about that kind of thing." Pidge beamed and scrambled up to the top bunk.

"Pidge was hatched," Hunk explained. "I was born with my mom in humanoid form, though. I don't think I could handle even that height," he said, shuddering. "I'll just sit on the floor."

Keith smiled slightly and turned around the chair at his own desk, so it faced the two Moots, and sat down. "I don't know how long Lance will take," he said. "What were you guys gonna study?"

"We were all going to practice Energy Manipulation." Pidge adjusted their glasses with a slight smirk. "We know it's not a class we'll have to take until next semester, but it's all of our worst Ability. Better to practice now than end up failing a class meant for twelve-year-olds.

Keith nodded slightly. "Are you guys Exemplary Talents, too?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hunk said with a short nod. "Me, Pidge and Lance. Pidge's brother goes here, too, but he's not Exemplary."

Pidge smirked a bit. "He's in Second-Tier," they said, "so you probably won't get to meet him."

"My brother is in Second-Tier, too," Keith said. Pidge raised an eyebrow.

"Another Annarite?" they asked.

"Pidge!" Hunk shrieked, looking at them in shock.

"He's not an Annarite. He's a human, and not my 'real' brother." Keith shrugged, an indifferent look on his face. "I don't mind, Hunk. At least they didn't call me Tainted or Red or anything."

Pidge smirked at Hunk, and Hunk huffed, looking down at his book in his lap. "Hey, Keith? You need help with Energy Manipulation? You can study with us."

"Nah." Keith shook his head. "I mean, I will study with you guys, cause there's no way I'm leaving the safety of this room. But it's not my worst Ability. My worst one is actually Precognition." He shrugged a bit, a slight smile on his face. "I'm actually pretty good at Energy Manipulation."

To prove his point, he looked over at a pencil on the desk behind him. He concentrated, and watched as the pencil started to float in the air. He let it drop down after a moment, and turned to smirk at Pidge and Hunk, his breathing slightly heavier now.

"Awesome," Pidge said. "Maybe you could help us out."

"I'd be honored," Keith said, a grin on his face.

The door opened, and Lance stormed in and slammed it behind him. "Stupid teacher!" he yelled. "Stupid kid! Stupid everyone!"

"I take it that talking to the teacher didn't go well?" Keith said, getting Lance's attention. Lance looked at Pidge and Hunk, just now realizing that his friends were there. He looked back to Keith.

"No, it didn't," he said. "That boy who shoved you against the wall went and told on me for breaking his finger! And the stupid teacher started asking if you were 'Tainting' me and if I needed you to be moved!"

Keith blinked. "What did you say?" he asked. He knew Lance defended him, but he seriously hoped that whatever he'd done didn't get Lance kicked out. He wasn't sure he could handle being alone at the school."

"Of course I said that he was being ridiculous," Lance said, crossing his arms. "I told him that the kid had shoved  _you_ against a wall, and I was trying to protect you. I told him that if anyone should be in trouble it should be that guy!" He looked at Pidge and Hunk, his eyes wide, and pupils narrowed into skinny little lines in his eyes. "Like, I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty sure that shoving someone against a wall is a violation of the First  _and_ Second laws."

"Oh, definitely," Pidge said, nodding in agreement. Their pupils were narrowed much like Lance's, and their very expression made Keith shiver slightly. "This guy needs to drop down into the Pit!" They crossed their arms, muttering under their breath.

"It's a violation, yeah," Hunk said. His eyes were wide in confusion and worry. Keith almost thought Hunk was about to cry. "Why would he do that? What'd Keith ever do to him?"

"Nothing!" Lance threw his arms up and groaned. "I hate that you have to deal with that shit, Keith!"

Keith cleared his throat, and looked away. He knew his face was already red, so they probably couldn't tell that he was blushing. Still, though. "Um, thanks, guys." He shrugged a little. "I mean there's nothing to be done, though. Let's just get to studying."

Lance huffed. "Oh, fine." He clearly didn't want to drop the subject, but he also seemed to know that focusing on it wouldn't do much good.

"Keith said he's gonna help us, Lance. He's better at Energy Manipulation than any of us." Pidge grinned. "Right Keith?"

"Um... I don't want to say  _that_." Keith shrugged, smiling despite the conversation from just a moment ago. "But I am going help you, if you want me to."

"Yes, please!" Lance nodded. "Any help is good help!"

Keith laughed and nodded. "Alright then," he said. "Let's get to work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- When giving birth, a Tazu mother may either give birth while in draconic form (thus hatching the child from an egg) or in humanoid form.
> 
> \- When someone starts sympathizing with someone who follows the Way of the Red, or the Way of 'Evil', that person is considered Tainted. This is not the same as when the Annarites are called ' _the_ Tainted', as that is simply a hateful name that is given to their entire race.
> 
> \- The 'Pit' is this world's Hell. ('Go to the Pit' = 'Go to Hell')
> 
> \- The Second Law is to 'do no harm' and essentially ties into the First Law. (If you don't remember that, you can find it at the bottom of the 2nd chapter)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note to my online friends, if they're reading this: Yeah, my mom grounded me from talking to you guys. She won't even /let me/ on tumblr. Deleted the app from my phone and everything (I'll re-download it when I'm allowed to talk to y'all again, don't worry) If she sent you guys a message, like I asked, good. But just in case I wanted to put this note here. I'm allowed to still write and still allowed on my computer, just no tumblr for me. :(
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter guys.

Keith woke up to the sound of Lance rifling through his closet, muttering to himself. "No, no, these don't go together... Augh, I should've brought more tazu-hide clothes..."

"Lance?" Keith sat up, rubbing at one eye. "Why're you up so early? It's Sunday, we don't have classes."

"I know," Lance said, staring at two shirts in his hands. "That's why I'm up. I was going to head out to town..." He trailed off, and looked up at Keith with a frown. Keith knew what Lance was going to ask before the words came out of his mouth. "What're you doing today?"

"Nothing, probably." Keith shrugged as he sat up in bed. "Maybe reading a book or two in bed. I don't exactly have plans."

Lance grinned. "Want to come with me? I'm gonna fly!"

Keith shivered at the thought. "Nah, I'll pass on that. Heights really freak me out."

Lance shrugged, clearly trying to mask his disappointment, and doing so rather poorly. Keith could feel the Emotional Energy rolling off him in waves. "That's fine," Lance said, contrary to his true feelings. "But I'd still rather you come. I hate the idea of you being cooped up..."

"I'm used to it," Keith said. "Remember? I was rarely ever allowed to leave Shiro's house."

"Still. I feel like that's all the more reason for me to bring you along." Lance sighed and pulled his sleeping shirt off. Keith averted his eyes, feeling his face warm a bit. "Aw, shy?" Lance chuckled, and Keith shook his head frantically. He peeked, and saw that Lance had pulled on a reddish-brown sleeveless shirt, made of some sort of leather. Tazu-hide.

"I'm not shy," he said defiantly, inwardly praising Spirit that his skin was already a dark red, so his blush wasn't _too_ obvious. "I just wish you wouldn't get undressed right in front of me."

Lance rolled his eyes playfully. "If I don't put these on," he said, gesturing to his shirt and pants, "I'll be naked in town when I shift back from my dragon form."

Keith nearly choked on air when Lance said that. "Yeah, okay, you should put those on." He shielded his eyes as he said that. He heard Lance laugh slightly, along with the rustle of clothes. After a few moments, he checked to see Lance fully dressed, grinning at him like the perpetually happy dork he was.

"Are you sure you don't-"

Lance's question was interrupted with a knock on the door. Lance went and opened it before Keith could even stand up. "Master Allura?" Keith heard him say. He actually started to stand up, then.

"Hello, Lance. I need to speak with Keith."

Keith sensed Lance's hesitance, and spoke up. "It's okay, Lance. She helped me get in, she doesn't hate me."

Lance nodded, and stepped aside to allow Allura into the room. She looked at Keith carefully, a small frown on her face. Keith felt like she wasn't here for a friendly visit. The encounter with the Muilan boy flashed through his mind. "Can I help you, Master Allura?" he said carefully.

She hesitated, glancing at Lance briefly, then back to Keith. "I was making sure that you were alright," she said. "I heard about..."

She trailed off, and Keith nodded. "I'm fine. Lance protected me." Lance beamed at that, and Keith playfully rolled his eyes.

"I heard about that as well," Master Allura said with a small smile. "I am glad that you are getting along with him well."

"He's certainly nicer than the other students," Keith said, a bitter smile on his face. "Though I suppose that's not saying much, is it?" Lance snorted at him, and Keith smiled a bit more genuinely. "Is that all you wanted, Master Allura?"

"I thought you should go to town with Lance."

Keith jolted. He'd nearly forgotten that Master Allura was an Exemplary herself. Whether she had used Precognition or Telepathy for this, he wasn't sure. "Um, why is that?"

"I think it would be good for you to get out and enjoy yourself, regardless of what people may think." Allura smiled softly, and she glanced at Keith's cloak, hung over his desk chair. "I want you to feel comfortable with being around people without feeling the need to hide yourself. However, Coran, my Angel Guide, warned me that you may not go without me mentioning this to you."

Keith crossed his arms, hesitancy clear on his face. He wasn't sure he'd ever feel comfortable enough in public without wanting to be alone again. It wasn't completely due to his Annarite heritage, but he knew that it definitely played a part. "I won't ride on Lance's back," he said firmly.

"Okay?" Allura seemed confused more than anything else at that statement. "But you'll go into town with him, won't you?"

"Sure." Keith shrugged. "I'm taking my cloak, though. Sorry if that disappoints you."

"It's fine," Lance said before Master Allura could say anything. "We don't want to rush you into anything. Right, Master Allura?" He looked pointedly at her. Keith was almost amused. He noticed that Lance must have been communicating telepathically with her, but opted not to intrude on the conversation. After a moment, Allura nodded.

"Yes, Lance is right. You can wear your cloak if that makes you feel better."

Keith nodded. "Right. In that case, if there's nothing else, I should get ready, ma'am."

* * *

Lance stretched his arms up towards the sky, a grin on his face. "Where to, Keith?"

"Wherever you want." Keith shrugged, one hand tightly holding the hem of his cloak. "It was your idea to come out anyway."

"In that case," Lance said, seeming a bit hesitant, "mind if we visit the Great Temple?"

Keith smiled slightly. "Sure. You know where it is?"

"Just follow the signs," Lance said, gesturing to all the signs around. There were signs pointing to various places in the town, including the Temple. Keith followed Lance to where the signs directed them, watching Lance's face light up in excitement when they arrived.

The Temple had shrines built to each of the Ways, minus the Red. Lance seemed drawn to the shrine built for Montage. Keith watched as Lance knelt and murmured some prayers. After a moment, Lance stood back up.

"You're from Aralim, right?" At Keith's nod of confirmation, Lance gestured in the direction of Angani's shrine. "You want to-"

"No," Keith said quickly. "I'm not... I don't..."

Lance nodded. "'Kay, that's fine." Keith sighed softly, relieved as he followed Lance out of the Temple.

"You were raised along Montage, right?" Keith asked softly.

"Yeah." Lance smiled a bit at Keith, walking close to his side. "Most Tazu are. I'll probably start, you know,  _not_ following it after I graduate First-Tier. It's a really complicated Way, and I don't think I would be able to deal with all of it. It takes a lot of balance and organization. That's what my mom always said, anyway."

"I think you could do it," Keith said. "I think you have more skill than you seem to give yourself credit for."

Lance giggled and nudged Keith playfully. Keith thought it might have been him seeing things, but Lance almost seemed to be blushing. But his scales made that hard to tell. Then Keith blinked, and it was gone. "You sound like my siblings," Lance said, getting Keith to focus on the conversation once more.

"Is that a compliment?" Keith asked, smirking a bit. Lance only laughed again.

They walked along in silence for a bit, Keith adjusting his cloak every now and then. After a while, Keith glanced at Lance to see him staring up at the sky. Keith paused, then sighed softly. "Listen," he said, getting Lance's attention, "I guess I could ride on your back if you  _really_ want to fly. But don't go too high, please?"

Lance stared in stunned silence, then grinned at Keith, his eyes shining in excitement. He grabbed Keith and pulled him into a tight hug. "I promise! Just let me know if I do go too high, okay?"

Keith nodded, swallowing down past the lump of nerves in his throat. He awkwardly returned the hug just before Lance pulled away and stepped back.

Keith watched as Lance shifted into his full dragon form. His wings were long and large. Keith wasn't sure how Tazus measured their wings. But as he watched Lance grow and shift, the thought to ask slipped completely from his mind. "Holy shit," he said, his eyes wide. Lance as a dragon was  _huge._ No wonder he couldn't just fly around their room, he'd tear down the whole school!

Lance chuckled, nudging at Keith with his snout. "You scared?" he asked, his voice more growling and rough in this form. Keith rolled his eyes, his lips stretching into a smile.

"Nah... I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"You're right about that," Lance said. "C'mon, hop on my back. Careful with your shoes." Lance leaned down to make it easier for Keith to get on.

Keith nearly slipped, but he managed to get on. He was more on Lance's neck than his back, but neither of them minded. "Hold on tight, okay?" Lance said, flapping his wings once. Not knowing what else to do, Keith wrapped his arms around Lance's neck, and squeezed his eyes shut.

Even with his eyes shut, Keith could feel when Lance took off into the air. His stomach swooped and he let out a high-pitched yelp. He heard Lance laugh, but Keith wasn't sure if he was laughing at  _him_ or if he was just really excited to be in the air. He chose to believe the latter, too focused on keeping his eyes shut to get upset.

"You okay back there?" Lance called. Keith barely heard him over the wind soaring past his ears.

"Y-yeah! I'm good!" Which was, well, a total lie. But Lance did enough for him that Keith could handle this.

Lance seemed not to believe him, anyway, and slowed down a little. Counting to ten in his mind, Keith opened one eye and looked down at the ground. The height nearly gave him a heart attack, and he closed his eye again, his breathing speeding up now. "W-we're really h-high up, huh?" he said weakly, laughing a bit hysterically.

"I love it!" Lance said, laughing wildly in excitement. Keith let out a slight whine, trying not to let Lance hear it.

Taking another deep breath, he opened both eyes again to look down. He started shaking at the height, and swallowed, trying not to throw up. He doubted Lance, or anyone on the ground, would appreciate that. "H-hey, Lance, c-can you m-maybe fly a little lower?"

"Sure!" Lance agreed quickly. He swooped down lower, and the speed nearly made Keith panic. But then Lance was flying smoothly, much lower than he had been before. Keith sighed in relief. It was still a lot higher than he would have liked, but compared to before, it was much better. "That good?" Lance asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." Keith nodded, even though Lance couldn't see him. He tightened his grip on Lance's neck, but Lance didn't seem to notice. Keith knew that with Lance in this form, it'd take a lot to hurt him. Which was good, because Keith had a pretty damn tight grip.

After a few minutes, Lance started to land. Keith sighed with relief. He'd started to actually get used to the height. As Lance let him down, Keith felt a little dizzy. He stumbled, and felt Lance catch him. He turned and smiled at Lance, who'd already shifted back to his humanoid form. "Careful, you look really dizzy," Lance said, smiling softly.

"I am, a little anyway." Keith shrugged Lance's hands off his shoulders, and returned Lance's smile. "But I can walk on my own."

Lance raised an eyebrow, and stared at him for a moment. "If you're sure," he said slowly. Then, he grinned. "Thanks for coming with me. I really needed that."

Keith shrugged, and smiled softly at Lance. "No problem. I had more fun than I thought I would."

Lance giggled, and pulled Keith into a hug. Keith yelped in shock, and hesitantly returned the hug. Once again, Lance pulled away almost immediately after, and was almost grinning even more than before. "Let's get back to the school," he said, his voice softer than before. Lance stepped away, and paused. He came closer, and reached behind Keith. Keith's breath hitched, as he looked at Lance with wide eyes...

Lance pulled something over Keith's head. "Your hood fell down while we were flying," he explained at Keith's confusion. Keith blinked; he hadn't even noticed.

"Thanks," he said breathlessly. Lance beamed, and grabbed on to Keith's elbow.

"Alright, _now_ let's get back to the school," he said. He pulled Keith along, talking about how they should come out next Sunday, too. He also suggested bringing Pidge along, saying that they'd probably want to fly with them, too. Keith's stomach started doing gymnastics at the very thought of doing that  _again_. But, Master Allura had said that he should get out of his comfort zone more often; not to mention that Lance seemed really excited about it...

"Sounds good," he said, his voice cracking slightly. Lance beamed at him, and Keith's breath caught in his throat at the sight. Lance, thankfully, didn't notice, and shifted the conversation to the homework for their classes tomorrow. Keith nodded along, though his mind was elsewhere as he tried to work out the reason for his pounding heart. He was on the ground again, so why was he still so nervous...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- An Angel Guide is someone's, well, guide, in each of their lives. They watch over everything the person does in their life and records them so that when the person passes away, they can watch over every choice that the person made in that life before they decide to sign a new Life Contract. Most people give names to their Angel Guides, even though technically they don't really have them to begin with. (They have vibrations, like musical notes. Naming them makes it easier for the person they're looking after though) I wasn't sure how else to fit Coran into the story, considering I already took quite a chance with making Allura such a powerful person within the school. (Powerful enough to get an Annarite into the school without much hassle, anyway)
> 
> \- Spirit is essentially what the Christian God would be for us, or perhaps it's more like Jesus. Only difference being that in the universe this takes place in, pretty much everyone except Red Followers will believe in Spirit.
> 
> \- On that subject, Ways aren't necessarily different religions, but they _are_ different. They just involve different ideas on the best way to evolve one's soul in each life. People follow different ones based on how their different views.
> 
> \- Montage is the Way of 'All Ways'. Meaning, it is basically a combination of every other Way and the views that come with them. Those in the Tazu Nation tend to be raised along this Way.
> 
> \- Angani is the Way of 'Purity'. This Way entails that one must be absolutely good pure for their soul to evolve the most effectively. Those in Aralim (where there are mostly humans) are typically raised along this way - which is why Lance thought Keith would have been raised along it, as well, seeing as he grew up in Aralim with Shiro.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So in case some of you readers haven't noticed the name change, I'll be telling you here: I've been wondering for a while if maybe I'm agender, so I'm testing it out. For now please call me with they/them pronouns, thanks!
> 
> To my friends I wasn't able to tell cause of being banned from tumblr: Yeah I told my mom and she was chill about it, but she wouldn't lift the ban. If you've spoken to me on a personal level before, I'd like to ask that instead of calling me Queen or CPG, if you'd just call me Shea I'd appreciate it. If you are just a reader of the story, I'd appreciate it if you'd also call me either Shea or CPP. Thanks in advance~!
> 
> Anyway, with that out of the way, enjoy the following chapter! <3

The weeks passed by for a while without incident. Keith still refused to leave the room without a cloak or Lance at his side. However, so far no one had attacked him again in the hallways, and some of the glaring had even died down. Lance accompanied Keith to some weekly 'meditations', essentially just therapy personally overseen by Master Allura. The other teachers had insisted upon it, but Keith didn't necessarily mind, even if she kept asking him to not be so withdrawn around people. "It only makes them more suspicious of you," she'd said once.

Of course, Lance was only enabling Keith's over cautiousness by actively being  _attached_ to Keith's side. Not literally, though he was sure that such a thing was really possible, and Keith hoped Lance didn't figure out  _how_. He barely got any space from the guy as it was! Originally he'd been grateful, but as time wore on, it just got tiring.

To put this plainly, Keith was getting stressed from being around Lance so much. Because with Lance, that often meant Hunk and Pidge right alongside him. And that was all fine, it really was, but... Keith was  _used_ to being alone, he liked it! Yeah, okay, he was being careful for his own life but if he also just wanted to read a book alone one night while Lance went off to fly Pidge around the town, was that so wrong?

Apparently, to Lance, yes, it was.

"Keith! C'mon, Master Allura  _said-_ "

"You were the one who said I should do it at my own pace," Keith said, looking at Lance with a glare that could have sent Prothidian Altar himself running away.

...It was probably thoughts like that that kept people away from him, in hindsight. He softened his look at this thought, even if Lance didn't seem to mind.

"I know, but..."

"Lance." Keith sighed, closing his book, marking the spot with his thumb. "I've gone out every time you've asked since I've been here. I'm tired of so much socializing. I just want to be alone for one night, okay? Please?" He tried his best to keep his voice calm and careful. He knew that whenever he managed to get angry, he yelled and screamed and said things he didn't mean. Yet another thing that didn't help how people viewed him, of course.

However, he seemed to have succeeded with keeping his voice steady. Lance nodded thoughtfully, and didn't seem too upset. "You'll call if you need me, right?"

Keith couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to concentrate on sending a call to Lance if he couldn't see Lance. "Sure," he said, despite that. He was going to stay in his room all night, so nothing bad would happen. He was sure that no one would want to hurt him as long as he stayed out of their sight... Maybe? He tried to shake off his hesitance.

See, if he suddenly left the room while Lance wasn't there... Then he'd get a little scared.

Or a lot scared.

Whatever.

"I'll be fine," he insisted. He opened the book and started from his place, trying to make Lance get the hint and just leave already. "Master Allura said you coddle me too much anyway."

"She did not! I go to all your sessions, remember!"

"And that's the problem, isn't it?"

Keith smirked as Lance went silent. The guy had basically just made Keith's point for him. "Bye, Lance," he said pointedly, flipping the page on his book.

Lance sighed softly. "Bye Keith." He left the room, the door closing making an echo in the empty room. Keith sighed with relief.

It was quiet. Keith swore it echoed in his ears, pounding in his head. He'd gotten a but too used to Lance's boisterous and bright presence, it would seem. Still, he pushed past the overbearing quiet and forced himself to continue reading the book. It was about... Something they were studying in Continental History. Maybe. He wasn't sure anymore, honestly.

After just a while of this rather unnerving silence, there was a knock on the door. Keith looked up from the page, his eyes narrowed. "Lance? Did you forget your keys?" he called, standing up. There wasn't an answer, triggering Keith's survival instincts. If the person was someone he knew, they probably would have at least said their name. He slowly approached the door, his eyes never leaving the knob. Lance had made sure to lock it before he left, thankfully, but Keith felt like, if he looked away, it would somehow let the person in. There was more knocking. "Who's there?"

No reply. Keith bit his lip. He closed his eyes and concentrated on contacting Lance.  _Somebody's at the door_ _,_ he said.  _I'm scared. I don't know who it is._

There was an almost instant reply.  _I'm on my way!_

Keith sighed deeply, trying to stop the pounding in his chest. No one would hurt him when Lance got back.

He started pulling his cloak on his head, in case whoever it was decided to break down the door. As he pulled the hood over his head, he heard Lance already out there, yelling at whoever was out there. Keith felt butterflies flapping around in his stomach as whoever it was yelled back. He couldn't hear any words, but it definitely sounded like the person wasn't a friend.

Keith took a deep breath. He reached for the book he'd put down and approached the door. The voices got louder as both Lance and the person's irritation rose. Keith clicked the lock and held the book in his hands like a weapon. A sad weapon, but a weapon nonetheless. He opened the door.

Another Muilan. A girl this time. She glared at Keith. "Come out of the room, you Tainted coward," she said in a low hiss.

"Leave him alone!" Lance said, shoving the girl.

"No! He's Red! He doesn't belong here! He should go back to the Middle Lands!" The girl reached to grab for Keith. Keith's reflexes were quick, though, and he lashed out with his book, smacking her hand away. She yelped in pain, and Lance seemed proud as she cradled her hand to her chest.

"Maybe you should go back to Lubreean, madame," Lance said, his voice dripping with venom and sarcasm. She glared at him with the heat of the sun.

The girl tried to move the fingers on the hand Keith had hit, but winced as she did. "You probably broke my hand, you... you Mad, Tainted creature!"

"Go stare at a mirror, lady. Or whatever you do when not attacking people. I have a book to read," Keith said, dusting off said book as if it'd been dirtied. He looked to Lance, giving him an uncertain look. "Thanks for coming, Lance. Sorry you had to-"

"It's okay, Keith!" Lance beamed at him, completely ignoring the whining girl. "That was awesome! I'm glad I was able to help."

Keith shrugged, looking to the ground with a smile. "Thanks for coming. Again."

"Agh, yeah, this is broken," the Muilan girl mumbled. Keith rolled his eyes at her.

"I've broken more than my hand before, lady. You'll survive."

"This is my dominant hand, you ruddy-"

"If you say Tainted, Mad, Red or Red Follower, I swear I'll find _something_ to prevent you from levitating, then I'll toss you off the tallest tower I can find." Lance stared at the girl, hard, as if he was trying to make her head explode.

Again, Keith was sure that it was possible. The girl cowered slightly, not continuing whatever she was about to say.

"Both of you should rot in the ruddy Pit," she mumbled, turning and running off. Keith grinned, almost laughing at how scared she was of Lance.

"Man, you can be intimidating when you want to be, huh?" he said, smirking at Lance. Lance snickered, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

"Yeah," he said, voice smooth. "But you should see it when I'm in my full draconic form. People nearly piss themselves when I get mad like that. Heck, I would've shifted if it wouldn't have torn down the whole school!"

Keith laughed wholeheartedly at that. He'd nearly forgotten that they were still technically in the hallway. It was late... Ish. Most people were in their rooms studying at this time.

Probably why that girl decided to come for him. His laughter died down.

"Are you going back to your friends?" Keith asked slowly. Lance thought a moment, then shook his head.

"Nah," he said. "I'm too worried for you now." He tilted his head slightly at Keith, examining him closely. "It is... Okay, right?"

Keith nodded, a small smile making its way back to his face. "Yeah," he said. "That's fine. It's your room, too."

Lance giggled and came in with Keith. Keith made sure to lock the door as he closed it. Keith sat down on his own bunk, and opened his book again. Lance plopped down next to him, but didn't say anything. He just sat there, staring at Keith as he read.

For a bit, Keith didn't actually notice. Lance's presence, with his huge Emotional Aura, was enough to replace any semblance of actual sound. It was easier for him to focus, now.

Then, Lance reached over and gently nudged Keith's hood back down. "It's too bad that you have to hide from everyone else," Lance said, "because you're so beautiful... I really don't see how they could think someone so pretty would be evil."

Keith's breath caught in his throat. He turned to face Lance, eyes wide as he searched Lance's face. A bit of pink showed on Lance's cheeks, just barely showing through his scales. Lance's eyes seemed hesitant, as if he worried that he shouldn't have said what he had. "You think I'm... Beautiful?" Keith asked softly. He'd never been called that, obviously. He wasn't sure he would have liked to be called that by anyone else, either.

"Yeah," Lance said, his voice soft. He smiled softly. "I do."

Keith swallowed, nerves piling in his throat like the first time Lance had taken him flying.

"You're... More than beautiful," he said. He took pride in seeing Lance blink in slight shock.

"Oh." Lance seemed incapable of actually responding to that with words. Keith grinned.

"It's late," he said. "We need rest."

Something bubbled in his chest, warm and fuzzy. He'd never felt this, but then he'd not met enough people to have the chance to feel this. He'd read it in books... A crush? Keith swallowed down past the lump in his throat, again, looking at the book in his lap.

"Yeah," Lance said, nodding. "Rest. Sounds good." Lance didn't stand, looking over Keith with concern. "You're okay, right?"

No. Maybe. "Yeah," he said. "I'm good."

"Good." Lance started to stand up so he could get up to his bunk. "Night, then, Keith."

"G'night, Lance."

As they both laid down in bed, Keith stared blankly at the wall. A crush... Was this what it felt like?

He'd have to ask Shiro... In the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Prothidian Altar, otherwise known as the Mad Mage, created the Annarites. He was the original Red Follower.
> 
> \- Lubreean is the Muilans' homeland.
> 
> \- Due to the high soul-vibrations of Muilans, they cannot see themselves in mirrors. Their homeland is filled with mirrors and reflective surfaces, as it is a sort of pastime for them to stare into the mirrors.


	8. Chapter 8

"Shiro? Can I ask you something?"

Shiro raised an eyebrow at Keith, and looked around the hall. "Keith? Did you come to the Second-Tier hallway... By yourself?" He sounded worried, and Keith couldn't blame him. He nodded to Shiro, adjusting his cloak. Shiro sighed softly, and moved to let Keith into his room.

Despite being a Second-Tier student, Shiro's room wasn't much different than Keith's. Shiro's roommate, a Tazu with dull greenish-blue scales, looked up at them from his desk. He pointed at Keith with the eraser-end of his pencil. "You Keith?"

"Yes. Um, what's your name?" Keith asked, tilting his head.

"I'm Matt."

Keith blinked. The name sounded familiar. "Are you Pidge's older brother?" he asked.

Matt perked up. "You know Pidge? Are they doing okay? Does Lance take them out to town, fly them around? They like that. Is he still doing that for them?"

"Uh, yeah, he is. And they're doing fine."

Matt nodded, seeming relieved. "Okay, good. I need to study Telepathy now." Then he turned and continued reading his book once more. Keith looked uncertainly to Shiro, who shrugged.

"It's fine. When he really concentrates, he kinda blocks everything else out. Watch." Shiro stepped a bit closer to Matt. "Okay, me and my brother are going to go burn down the Great Temple. We'll blame everything on you," he said, watching Matt carefully.

Matt didn't react, murmuring to himself about taking and giving memories through Telepathy. Keith snickered to himself. "Okay, I believe you," he said. He sat down on the bottom bunk of the bed, and Shiro sat next to him.

"What's up, Keith?" he asked.

"It's about... Lance."

Shiro crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed. "I heard something about Muilan boy, and how Lance broke his finger. Is this about that?"

"No. I'm glad he was there to protect me, then. But..." Keith sighed, and looked at his lap with a frown. "I... I've been feeling weird. Like, I get happy when he protects me. But then when he acts like he cares about me a lot or just smiles or something I feel all nervous. I don't know what this is. And last night he said I was pretty and I nearly had a heart attack!"

Shiro was grinning as Keith spoke. He placed a steadying hand on Keith's shoulder, instantly making his 'brother' relax. "Keith. I think you have a crush on him."

Then, Shiro's happy face melted into a more serious one. "But I also worry that, since I'm the only other one who's ever been really nice to you, that..." He sighed, and bit his lip. "I'm not belittling your feelings, don't get me wrong. But I think that maybe, since you're not used to being treated so nicely, maybe that's sort of why you feel that way for him?"

"You think?" Keith swallowed nervously at the thought. "How would I know?"

"Hang around more people," Shiro said slowly. "Not all at once, of course. Lance has friends, though, right?"

"Pidge and Hunk," Keith said with a nod. "I should hang around them more often?"

"I think it would be a good idea." Shiro smiled and patted Keith on his head. "After you're used to being treated nicely, if you still feel that way for Lance, then your feelings are real."

Keith hummed in thought. "I guess that makes sense," he said. "Thanks, Shiro."

"No problem, Keith. Was that all you needed?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I should go, now, I guess."

"Want me to walk you to your room?"

Keith considered the offer, glancing at the door. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea."

Shiro nodded. He left the room with Keith at his side, and they walked together to go down to Keith and Lance's room. As they walked, most of the glares Keith got were Second-Tier students who hadn't been aware of his presence. Keith did his best to ignore them, though, knowing that he wouldn't have to be around them very often. When they got to his room, he got inside as quickly as possible with a hasty goodbye to Shiro.

Almost as soon as the door closed, Lance scrambled over to him, worry in his eyes. He looked over Keith frantically, checking for damage. "Where did you go?! I woke up and you weren't here! My god, I was so worried! Are you okay? You're okay, right?"

Keith laughed nervously at Lance's behavior. "I'm fine, Lance. I just went to see Shiro."

"By yourself?!" Lance stared at him, mouth agape. "I don't know whether to be proud of your independence, or angry that you didn't even leave a note."

"How about I just apologize and we can let it go," Keith said, a smirk on his face. "Thanks for worrying, though. That's nice of you."

"How am I supposed to not worry about you?" Lance looked genuinely confused at the prospect. Keith couldn't help but chuckle at it, and Lance shrugged, dismissing the subject. "Well, you're okay. That's what matters."

"Um, thanks. Again." Keith smiled softly. "Hey, uh, are you hanging out with Pidge and Hunk today?"

Lance shook his head. "Yeah. Why, do you want to come too?"

"Actually, I was thinking of hanging out with them... On my own?"

"On your own?" Once more, Lance seemed genuinely confused. "Why?"

"Just... Independence, I guess?" Keith figured that 'trying to decipher between a real crush and a perceived crush' was not a reason he should mention to Lance. He smiled, a bit uncertainly. "Is that okay?"

"No, yeah, it's fine!" Lance nodded, beaming. "See, I take back what I said earlier. I'm definitely proud."

"Thank you?" Keith blinked at Lance, his eyebrows furrowing. "So..."

"We were all going to look at clubs," Lance said, an apologetic expression on his face. "You can always meet them later for a study group if you want. I think Hunk still needs some Energy Manipulation practice!"

"Alright... What clubs were you thinking of?"

"I'm gonna look at the Drama club, I think." Lance shrugged, a smile on his face. "You want to come with us?"

Keith considered that. "I suppose. You'll all be there so I won't get worried about being hurt. Though I doubt I'll be joining any clubs."

"That's fine!" Lance beamed at him, almost blindingly, and grabbed on to Keith's arm. "We better get going, though. They'll be waiting for us!"

Keith allowed Lance to drag him into the hallway, barely managing to keep his cloak on his head as Lance tugged him down the hall to Pidge and Hunk's room. He almost slammed into Lance when he stopped in front of the door. He stood straight as Lance knocked, and then Hunk opened the door with a grin.

"Hey, Lance! Is Keith gonna join a club, too?" Hunk looked almost worried at the idea.

"I doubt I will," Keith said. "But I thought I'd tag along anyway. Is that okay?" he asked, hoping he wasn't disrupting anything.

"It's totally fine! Right Pidge?" Hunk said, as Pidge came up to his side. Pidge smiled at Keith, adjusting their glasses on their face.

"Yeah, it is. Let's go, guys."

They all set off together to the clubs. Apparently they had all narrowed down to one club each. Pidge wanted to look at the newspaper club, along with Hunk, and Lance wanted to look into the Drama club. After some discussion, they opted to head to the newspaper club first.

When they arrived, they found several people bustling about. A young Muilan boy, a different one than the one Lance broke the finger of, came over and smiled at the four of them, faltering slightly at Keith. However he seemed much different than the last two Muilans Keith had dealt with, and said nothing. "Hello," the Muilan said. "Can I help you all?"

"I'm Pidge. I was thinking of joining the newspaper club." Pidge adjusted their glasses with a grin.

"Me too! I'm Hunk, hi." He beamed at the Muilan.

"Alright. My name is Cais. You two? What might you be doing here?" he asked, tilting his head at Lance and Keith. Not quite suspicious, but wary. Better than being attacked, Keith supposed.

"Oh, we're their friends. We were all looking at clubs together," Lance said. "We'll just be... Here." Lance smiled, and Keith nodded along with him.

"Right then," Cais said. He turned to Pidge and Hunk. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the Editor-in-chief, Master Weldell. This way, then." He waved for Pidge and Hunk to follow him.

"You two go on to the Drama club," Pidge said to Lance and Keith, before they and Hunk followed Cais. Lance and Keith looked at each other, and shrugged, before heading off.

Though as they walked, Keith couldn't help but feel kind of ridiculous. He had planned to hang out with Pidge and Hunk and yet he'd only managed to get alone with Lance. Again. He sighed softly to himself. At least he tried.

"You okay?" Lance asked. "Did you want to join the newspaper club?"

"No, no," Keith said, shaking his head. "Just... Nothing. Don't worry about it, Lance." He gave Lance an awkward smile, hoping Lance could buy it.

Lance raised an eyebrow, but then they stopped in front of the Drama room, and Lance sighed. "Right then. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah." Keith nodded, a small smile on his face. "I will." Lance smiled, and then they headed into the room.

People in there were bustling about, preparing for an upcoming play. Most of them didn't even stop to look at Keith or Lance. Lance grabbed on to one human girl with blonde hair. "Hey, uh, where do I go to ask about tryouts?" he asked.

"They're in a few hours," she said with a smile. "The signup sheet is over by the stage." She pointed at the stage, where people were painting the set and setting up some of the 'buildings'.

While Keith watched Lance write down his name, someone placed a hand down on his shoulder. Keith jumped and turned to see a Lu'shun male, who seemed to be a teacher. Keith guessed he was the teacher who watched over the Drama club. "Are you Keith, the Annarite boy?" The man looked Keith over.

"Um, yeah. In case you couldn't tell." Keith crossed his arms defensively, stepping closer to Lance. "Why do you ask?"

"You! You will be perfect to play the Mystic!" The man beamed at Keith.

"The huh?" Keith said, looking at Lance in confusion. Then he looked back to the older male, looking him over.

"Yes! You don't have to play the Mystic, I suppose, but I need you in my play, Keith!" The Lu'shun gestured wildly as he talked. Keith pulled Lance closer to him, almost scared of this guy. "Ah, in fact, you should play Dotria, yes! Even better than the Mystic!" He planted his hands on Keith's shoulders, eyes wide and pleading. "Yes, Keith! Please, I am positively starved for true talent!"

Keith blinked up at the teacher. "Wh... I'm not exactly-"

"Try out! Please, Keith!" He pointed at Lance, who was holding in his laughter. "You, do you not think he would look lovely under the spotlight?"

"Definitely," Lance said, nodding. He bit his lip, clearly trying not to grin at Keith's confusion. "Well, Keith? I'll even be at your side when you try out!"

Keith sighed softly, crossing his arms with a slight pout. "Fine," he said. "I guess."

The Lu'shun man clapped his hands gleefully. "Wonderful, amazing!" He glided away, and Keith watched him in confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" he said to Lance. Lance giggled at his face, and Keith huffed.

"Whatever, let me write my name, I guess." He scribbled his name down on the sheet of paper, and looked at Lance in slight confusion. "What is this play?"

"The Maiden's Virtue," Lance said. "It's a doomed romance story, a really popular one from Aralim." Lance beamed at him, his eyes sparkling. "There are two romantic leads, Sepia and Do'tria. Then there's the third lead, 'The Nameless Mystic', who wants to keep the other two apart for his selfish reasons." He draped an arm around Keith, staring into the distance with a grin. "There are romantic ballads, awesome fight scenes, and the Mystic gets an amazing, intimidating solo! I love this play, I'm so glad we get to try out together!" He giggled and hugged Keith tightly, and Keith laughed nervously.

He was  _way_ in over his head here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I got the play from the Way Walkers text-based game, in case you're wondering. So yeah, it's an actual play in the Way Walkers verse.
> 
> \- Cais is also an actual, Way Walkers verse name. In this universe, typically, names are chosen based on meanings. Cais, in this case, means 'rejoice'.
> 
> \- Yeah I'll have a few side-characters with actual Way Walkers names. They won't come up too often though.
> 
> \- I'm picturing your face... 'What is it with Lu'shuns and being nice to Keith?' Well, Lu'shuns are the chosen children of Beleskie. And Beleskie's Way, as I believe I mentioned, focuses on forming connections and relationships with others. So Lu'shuns would be a bit nicer to Keith than others, I believe.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the terrible song(s) that you'll have to sit through. I'm not exactly a poet and _none_ of the songs were actually ever written in the game. I don't have much to go off of.

"I wish I had more time to learn this," Keith said, his eyes scanning the paper. Lance giggled, and Keith glanced up at him with a small smile.

"As long as you're good, I'm sure that it'll be okay if you mess up a few lines," he said, patting Keith's shoulder. "Most of the play is singing, so as long as you can sing I'll help you along with the rest."

Keith nodded, and glanced back at the paper. "What part are you hoping to get?" he asked.

"Sepia."

Keith blinked, and looked up at Lance's face. "I thought Sepia was a girl."

"Normally, yeah. But the director said that if a guy got the part, they'd change it. Not like it affects the play or anything. There are even places around the Continent that prefer to portray Sepia as a male."

Keith shrugged. "Alright then. Me, I'll be lucky to get a minor role."

Lance snorted, and draped an arm over his shoulder. Keith looked at him with a confused glare. "C'mon. Let me hear you sing, and I'll tell you the best part you could get." His smile softened into something more gentle, and Keith flushed slightly, though Lance couldn't tell. "C'mon. Please?"

Though hesitant, Keith glanced down to his paper again. What he held in his hand wasn't the entire script of the play, but just the duet between Do'tria and Sepia in the second scene, when they first meet. He found Do'tria's first line, and began to sing softly. "Pure white clothes, and gentle eyes. Can it be, my true love, love at first first sight?"

"I can hardly hear you, Keith." Lance leaned closer, cupping a hand over his ear. When Keith shook his head frantically, Lance sighed sadly. "You don't have to try out if you don't want to," he said gently.

Keith opened his mouth, but then only closed it again. He glanced around, despite knowing they were alone in their room. His eyes fell on the clock on their wall. They had only one hour before tryouts. He took a deep breath. "You start the duet. I promise I'll try to sing louder."

Sepia's lines came first in the song... It would make sense for Lance to begin. Lance nodded to him and stepped back. He took a deep breath, and began the song without even needing a script. "Broad and strong, your shining armor. You, with your strong gaze, you're everything I dream of, this I cannot fight!" He stretched a hand out to Keith with a grin. Keith faltered - Lance was better than he'd expected. Then, he smiled back.

"Pure white clothes, and gentle eyes. Can it be, my true love, love at first sight?" He sang louder now, and placed his hand in Lance's. Lance grinned proudly at him.

"In your eyes I see a strong soul. I see one who can protect me at night!" Lance twirled Keith around, and pulled him close. Keith bit back a shocked yelp, knowing Lance was only going along with the play. He glanced down at his script, and sang his next line.

"In your eyes I see one who sees good in all, one who knows wrong from right..."

A knock on the door startled them apart. Keith swallowed, his throat dry. Before he could even say 'come in', Master Allura rushed in with wide eyes. "Keith, is it true? Are you planning to try out for the play?"

Keith blinked at her concerned face. "Uh... Yeah, why?"

Allura groaned softly, and rubbed her forehead. "I think you should switch rooms, Keith. I feel like he's pressuring you into things you don't want to do."

"What?!" Keith's jaw dropped. "You literally told me to get out and be around people more!"

"Well now I'm saying that I'm changing your room!"

"Lance is the  _only_ _person_ you could put me with and  _not_ have me 'mysteriously die' in my sleep!" Keith grabbed at Lance's arm, and glared at Allura. Hard. "I'm  _staying_ with him."

Master Allura sighed softly. "Keith, there are plenty of students who follow the First Law-"

"First Law, bah! I am _staying_ , okay?! That's that!"

"Keith, I understand that he is your friend-"

"Get out."

Surprisingly, the low, threatening voice didn't come from Keith. Both Allura and Keith stared at Lance in shock. "Pardon me?" Allura said.

"You heard me.  _Get. Out._ "

She sputtered. "Now see here-"

"You are _not_ Master Allura. While I am  _impressed_ with your illusion, whoever the  _ruddy fuck_ you are, I must  _kindly_ ask you to  _get out of our room_."

'Master Allura' glared at Lance, then turned and left the room, slamming the door behind them. Lance relaxed, and looked at Keith carefully, as if checking for injuries. "You okay?" he asked. Keith nodded, almost in a daze.

"How'd you know it wasn't her?" he asked softly.

"When I look at Master Allura, I see a Tazu with pink scales, blue eyes, and blue roots in light purple hair. But that person looked like an Annarite to me - because they were trying to fool  _you_. They didn't consider that I would be in the room, too."

Keith stared at him in slight shock. "So... Why would they do that? Why go to that trouble?"

"It's like you said. I'm the only person they could put in a room with you... And not want to kill you." Lance winced at that and hugged Keith close. "So they were trying to trick you into changing rooms, so I wouldn't be able to protect you."

Keith whimpered slightly at the thought. "I'm glad you were here to expose them. Whoever that really was." Lance nodded slightly.

"Hey... We should get to the audition, yeah?" Lance pulled back with a gentle smile. "Unless you're changing your mind?"

"Nah. Let's do this. I can't let people stop me from having a good time." He grinned at Lance brightly, and Lance beamed back. For a moment, Keith thought he saw a blush behind the blue scales, but then Lance was tugging him out the door.

"By the way," Lance said, tossing him a smile over his shoulder, "you could totally get Do'tria."


End file.
